New Castle police said they were trying to stop a young woman driving her red Pontiac Sunfire erratically Thursday night, and when she didn't stop, she broadsided a Shenango Township police car on the passenger side, killing 60-year-old Officer William Jerry McCarthy IV, who was also a district attorney's office detective.

The driver of the Pontiac, 25-year-old Kylee Barletto, allegedly told police she "did a stupid thing."

Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa said, "The decision that was made last night cost someone their life, and something that would have amounted to a traffic ticket is now a homicide charge."

The driver of the Shenango Township police car, 35-year-old Officer Michael Lynch, suffered a fractured hip and ankle and was treated at Jameson Hospital.

Barletto, of New Castle, was being treated for her injuries at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown and will face extradition back to Pennsylvania. She faces several charges, including homicide by vehicle and manslaughter involving a law enforcement officer.

At the time of the crash, her license was suspended and she had a history of seven traffic citations in the past two years.

"I know she'll be sick over this. It's going to haunt her for the rest of her life, because she's that kind of a person," said Becky George, a friend of Barletto.

Authorities said Barletto ran four stop signs, weaving all over the road as New Castle police kept a safe distance, following, but not chasing her.

The Shenango Township police car was traveling parallel to her vehicle on another street until before the crash.

"As they approached the intersection, the vehicle turned directly into their side and struck their vehicle on the passenger side, right at the passenger side door," said Lamancusa."After the collision, the police vehicle traveled approximately 200 feet and collided into another vehicle."

Lamancusa said McCarthy was a family man and religious.

"There was truly no greater man. I aspire to be half the man he was," said Lamancusa. "We lost a brother, we lost a good friend and we lost a great man."

Speaking of the effect of McCarthy's death, Lamancusa said, "This affects everyone, everyone who has ever worn a uniform, everyone who knows what it's like to serve."

Ron Piche is an officer with the New Castle Police Department who remembers McCarthy well.

“I’d see him in court. He'd work in the courthouse. He always had a smile on his face, always went out of his way to say hello,” said Piche.

Piche’s wife, Mariel, said they had family issues to attend to yesterday, but can only imagine if her husband was working last night during the chase.

“And if he wasn’t doing that last night, if he was working, I would have been very nervous, so my empathy goes out to his family,” she said.

Friends of Barletto believe they were on the phone with her before the collision. George said she and another friend "did not hear no sirens in the background. There was no urgency in her voice."

Lamancusa said Barletto slowed down for New Castle police at first, but then drove off, setting the pursuit in motion. During her statement to police, she told investigators there was something wrong with her car and that she could not stop.

Lamancusa said the results of drug and alcohol tests on Barletto's blood are pending.

"She's not a horrible person," George said of Barletto. "It's a terrible, terrible accident. I'm sick over this.